The Last Meeting
by AllisonReader
Summary: After trying and failing to get Susan to come to a meeting of the friends of Narnia, the meeting ends in a way they least expect it to.


This is what used to be the beginning, the middle-ish, and what would have been the end of Forgotten History. At the moment it's still apart of that story currently, but the plan is that it will be removed to hopefully rework Forgotten History into a story that flows better. Please note that all words in bold are direct quotes from The Last Battle.

* * *

Lucy was excited, today was the day that Aunt Polly and Professor Kirke were going to tell their story of being in Narnia a second time. All of them knew several versions of them at the beginning of the world, but none had heard of their return. That was why everyone was going to the meeting that night, except maybe for Susan. That was what Lucy was to do, see if Susan was going to come. Peter had given Lucy this challenging task of either seeing if Susan was coming or to try and convince Susan to come; he had thought that the youngest might have better luck than him.

Lucy spotted Susan in the parlor and without checking for others, Lucy went in and started to ask; "Susan? Will you please come to the friends of Narnia meeting? You haven't come to one for such a long time and-"

"Lucy!" Susan interrupted. "Aren't you a little too old for that game? I mean really Lu." Susan replied with great distain. "I am so sorry Louise, Lucy has always had a very active imagination. It was just some game she would get us to play during the war. Don't pay her any attention. I mean I don't even know why she keeps it up, she'll be turning 18 soon." Susan said with a wave of her hand, ignoring Lucy, already feeling the guilt build up. She promised herself and Lucy silently that she would try to go to the next one.

Lucy cringed at Susan's tone and her own thoughtlessness for not checking the room for others before she spoke. "If that's how you feel Susan" Lucy said quietly as she left the room ready to wipe the tear coming down her cheek. Lucy wiped her tear and leaned against the wall, not truly believing all of what Susan said. Her tear from the sharp tone she heard only far to often as of late. She only stayed against the wall long enough to hear the next short bit of conversation.

"I say Susan, I know she was being a little childish especially with how excited she was… but… wasn't that a bit harsh?" asked her friend.

"Maybe, but she'll bounce right back, she always does."

"If you say so Su." Louise said.

Then Lucy ran to her room as her eyes burned with hot tears from Susan's assumption. What Susan had said hurt deeply even if she didn't think she meant it, even if it was just to cover up Narnia being mentioned when she said it. She still had the meeting that night to look forward to. She knew she would feel better after spending time with those who didn't pretend not to believe anymore. Lucy had to believe that's all this was for Susan, a coping mechanism to survive, if Narnia wasn't real maybe to Susan she thought it would hurt less. Lucy wasn't sure Susan realized how it was tearing their family apart. Lucy let her tears fall for a few minutes, dwelling on such thoughts before closing them out for the rest of the evening.

Lucy then started getting ready for the meeting, not that she had much to do besides freshen up from her cry. She went and washed her face and brushed her hair, in which she put a bright blue ribbon that matched her dress. She was just finishing tying her ribbon when Edmund knocked on her door.

"Oi, Lu, are you ready? We have to leave right soon, you know how Peter feels about being late."

She opened her door and answered; "I'm ready Ed."

"I see Su isn't going to come then?" Edmund asked as they started down the stairs.

"No, she has decided that her friend is more important today. At least we get a new story tonight."

"Yes, that will be exciting, it had to have been before our time."

"I'm thinking so too. Where is Peter?" Lucy asked as they reached the front door.

"He said something about getting a cab, it's a bit rainy, we'll need umbrellas."

"Ever so practical Ed. Rain does make for such perfect story weather though." Lucy said as they put on their coats.

"Yes, it is, I heard that the Professor is even picking up some good wine for the meal."

"It won't be as good as Narnian or Archenland's wine though."

"No, but it will be nice."

The door opened and shut as Peter quickly entered stomping his feet to get off extra water. "Well you two are you ready yet?" Asked the dripping wet Peter.

"Yes!" Exclaimed Ed and Lu at the same time, Peter just smiled.

"Shall we go milady?" asked Edmund with a bow.

"Of course, my lord" replied Lucy with a giggle.

"Peter?"

"Milady" Peter said as the two brothers hooked their arms with hers their outer carrying an umbrella each. They ran out to the cab still arm in arm together.

* * *

Once at Aunt Polly's they found they were the last ones to arrive.

"Pole, can you believe it? For once we made it before them." Eustace said with a smug grin, as his cousins walked into the parlor. Edmund rolled his eyes at Eustace's statement.

"Come in you three, I see you got that wet stuff off. Make yourselves comfy, supper isn't ready and won't be for a while yet." Aunt Polly said.

"Aunt Polly, Professor, now that everyone is here, will you please tell us about your second journey into Narnia? How bad could the trip really have been?" asked Jill.

"Oh yes, please tell us. I would love to hear a new story. Plus, you have both said that we would hear your story for the last ten of our meetings but you never have. You've practically promised you would tell us this time." Said Lucy.

"Yes, how can it have been worse than being a traitor?" Said Ed.

"Or being turned into a dragon" added Eustace with a grimace.

"Simply put it wasn't in those respects, we just acted fairly foolish with each other and ended up straining our relationship for a bit." Said the Professor.

"It tore the two of us apart for a time that felt too long. We had had a horrible fight when we got back from that trip" said Aunt Polly.

"There was some jealousy and anger."

"Some pining over what was not to be, we snapped at each other a bit, a touch of lust, followed by shame and embarrassment from that."

"The way we responded to those things was with anger at each other which made everything much worst. Neither of us wanted to listen to the other to work it through."

"It ended up with us not talking for such a long time after our fight; but before we get into that, we will start at the beginning. We'll have to stop part way through to eat, once the meats finished. Anyway, the beginning of our story begins with me going to visit Digory." Polly lapsed into the story of their second journey telling them of Dilly the Hedgehog and her friends as they went to meet King Gale.

Just as Polly was going to tell them about meeting the king Polly's timer went off with a loud ding.

"Well, I do believe our meal is ready. Shall we move to the dining room?" Polly suddenly said.

"Aunt Polly, what an awful spot to stop you were just going to meet the king." Complained Eustace.

"You don't want to eat then young man?" Polly asked raising an eyebrow.

"Yes ma'am."

"Well then don't complain. You wouldn't want it to be over cooked."

"Aunt Polly's right Eustace, the lamb would be no good if it were over roasted. Susan tried once, it turned out dry and a little burnt." Agreed Lucy

"I'll go get the food, your help please, Digory. I can't carry it all."

"Do you want some of our help Aunt Polly?" asked Peter.

"Yes, Aunt Polly, Peter and I can help if you would like." Edmund offered.

"No, no you, young ones go sit down, Digory and I can handle it. If you are in desperate need to do something you can go grab the wine from the cellar bring up the three bottles Digory has brought, they are just on the table down there."

"Right Ed and I can go grab them, Ed let's go"

"Coming Peter, thanks Aunt Polly, professor." Ed said as he and Peter left to get the wine.

"Aunt Polly is there anything we can do?" asked Lucy.

"No dear, the table is set and those two boys will be right back up and the food is almost all on the table you three can go sit down."

"What I don't understand is why both Ed and Peter went to get the wine. There's only three bottles surely just one of them could get the wine."

"It's a habit of theirs to go together, you never know what kind of trouble those two could get into alone down there. They also have this remarkable ability to break and bottle of wine they're carrying if it's more than one for each hand." Lucy explain to Eustace.

"Oh".

Once everyone was seated at the table they gave a prayer of thanks to the creator. Then they all dished up the meal taking a little portion of all the dishes made. There were dishes of fish and vegetables, potatoes, breads, an apple pie and many other dishes that were Narnian in style.

"Can we hear the rest of the story now?" asked Jill.

"Of course, now, where were we?" Polly started where she left off, weaving her tale masterfully. She drew to the end just as everyone was finishing their last bites which were now getting quite cold.

* * *

Everyone was quiet, reflecting on the story told, Lucy was the first one to speak again. "Well… at least we know why the Lone Islands are a part of Narnia." She said talking a dainty sip of her remaining wine.

"That does make sense, fighting off a dragon does make people rather grateful and very relieved and happy." Peter said.

"Uhg, dragons; it's still not as bad as being one."

"Eustace!" cried out his three cousins with Pole saying "Scrubb" at the same time.

All of them then started laughing until they saw _the_ figure. They had all just finished laughing when 'he' appeared. Eustace, Lucy, and Jill jumped up from their seats. Jill gave a small scream of shock from seeing him appear so suddenly.

Polly took in a sharp breath, while Digory made for his glass, for what purpose he wasn't sure, it was empty. He missed, knocking it off the table. It made a pretty tinkling noise as it shattered on the floor.

Neither Edmund nor Peter moved, but both paled. (While this all takes time to read it happened all at once in about ten seconds.) Peter kept his wits as a good king should and spoke to _it_.

 **"** **Speak, if you're not a phantom or a dream. You have a Narnian look about you and we are the seven friends of Narnia."**

He looked like he was trying to speak, but couldn't find his voice.

 **"** **Shadow or spirit or whatever you are,"** Peter was now staring down the man if that's what you could call him.

 **"** **If you are from Narnia, I charge you in the name of Aslan, speak to me. I am Peter the High King."**

Then he started to disappear. The room filled with cries of; **"** **Look! It's fading."**

 **"** **It's melting away."**

 **"** **It's vanishing."**

Only Lucy cried out "he's leaving… Oh, he's gone now."

"Well, I think we all now know the real reason we're here tonight. Narnia is in trouble and we are to help." Digory said.

"How are Pole and I, to get there? We haven't gone like one would expect we would, at least not yet."

"The rings Digory, they could go with the rings. All they would have to do is dig them up and go." Polly said softly.

"Yes, but how to get them without looking suspicious." the professor thought aloud.

"Peter and I could dress-up as workmen doing something with the pipes. The two of us could go early in the morning, before Jill and Eustace go back to school." Edmund exclaimed excitedly.

"Yes, I have a friend we can borrow them from, and we'll have to wear gloves." Peter exclaimed, excited to at least help someone get to Narnia.

"Borrow what?" Eustace asked.

"Workman's clothing" replied Peter.

"We can meet you at the train station" Ed said.

"I'll come on the train and make a day of it." Lucy said.

"Ah, we will go as well; right Polly?"

"Of course. I'm game."

So, the plan was agreed upon; and rather sulkily by Eustace because he wanted to go with Peter and Edmund thinking it would be great fun. They all left a little easier that night knowing they would see each other soon.

"Susan, I really wish you would have come. It was so fun; we learned how Narnia acquired the Lone Islands. After that we had a strange visitor who didn't say a word. He appeared like a ghostly apparition and so very clearly a Narnian man. Narnia is in trouble, we are all sure." Lucy told her sister.

"Lucy, I can't keep dwelling on the past. I need to live here, now, my friends, parties; don't you see that is what's keeping me together. Why don't you understand, I can't keep it up? When I'm with friends, I'm happy; they keep me current and grounded. I've loved Narnia as much as any of you. I've found Jesus, and I want to learn about him here. I'm not forgetting it, but I also don't want my friends to think my entire family is crazy. I just can't talk about it anymore Lu. It's little more to me than a crazy fantasy game we played when we were young enough to play such games. I mean really talking Beavers, fauns, great cats surely you must see how silly it seems. This conversation is done, have fun getting those rings; Peter told me last night all about it. I told him the exact same thing."

"Oh Susan, please at least come to the train with us. We've all missed you. After Jill's first meeting you've only been to one, the others you have avoided."

"Lucy, I said no, no more. I'm so bloody tired about hearing about Narnia! We can only tell so many stories without being repetitive! Just shut-up and leave me alone about it Lu!"

"If that's how you feel about it Susan, I'll leave you be." Lucy said softly almost in tears, hurt by what Susan had said. "I just don't understand how she can wave it off almost merrily one day and the next day angrily." Lucy thought to herself as she left the room.

For the next few days Lucy didn't speak of Narnia to Susan. She left with her brothers every day to plan the ring heist and talk Narnia with the other four. Until Lucy was getting ready to go to the train.

"Susan, please won't you come to the train with us?"

"No Lu, I have a bad feeling about this, please if anything I think you should stay."

"Su, I can't. I feel like I have to go, for… for Narnia." She said, whispering the last two words.

"Really Lu, why do you keep it up; it's not like you're going to go back."

"I may not go back to Narnia but there is Aslan's Country to look for."

"Fine Lu I'm not going to argue. I do love you, please don't forget it."

"I won't Su, I love you too, I have to go I'll see you soon."

"Good-bye Lucy." She said with a hug.

When on the train, Lucy wrote a letter to Susan.

"I say Lucy, why you are writing?" asked her cousin.

"I just feel like I need to Eustace. I'm not sure why, now let me write. I want to have it finished before the next station and mail it." She gave it to a gentleman getting off the train whom didn't mail it until a couple of weeks after.

"Oh Lucy, sometimes I wish I had come with you. I got your letter you wrote before that train crashed and you passed. I know your spirit and everyone else's too are alive and fine in Aslan's Country. Your letter has helped.

Dearest of Susans,

My dear sister, here I am on the train writing this letter, I don't know why but I want to remind you of some of Aslan's knowledge. He calls all times soon, we just don't feel time the same as he. He is here, in this world we currently live; under a different name of course (I know you know it, you told me it earlier this week). Even here he will talk to you, you just have to listen harder. His advice can come from the most unassuming places, people and things. With him you shall never be alone. Though times will get tough he will see you through. Carry what he has done for all of us dear in your heart, and reopen your heart to Narnia. Let yourself believe in it and acknowledge your experiences from then and they along with Aslan will guild you. And once again remember he calls all times soon, even if to you it is a life time. My dear, dear sister, my dear darling Susan, my Gentle Queen, carry us all in your heart and we will see you soon.

Love Lucy, always your Valiant Queen


End file.
